NHL
AWARDS AND HONORSAll-Star Game: 1991 (Minnesota)Stanley Cup Finals (Lost):
1991 (Minnesota)Minnesota Masterton Cup (MVP): 1988-89 (co-winner), 1990-91
Minn. Star of Game Award (Home 3-Stars Lead): 1988-89, 1990-91Minnesota Team
Choice Player of Year: 1989-90Min. WCCO-Radio
Trophy (Points Lead): 1988-89 (78), 1990-91 (82)Minnesota KSTP-Radio Trophy
(Most Improved): 1988-89Min. Alka-Seltzer Plus-Minus Award (+/-
Leader): 1990-91 (plus-9)Minnesota Community Service Award:
1992-93NHL Records: Most points in one period of one playoff game (4 in
first period for Minnesota vs. Chicago on April 8, 1991, shares record)Minnesota/Dallas Records: Most points in one period of one playoff
game (4 in first period vs. Chicago on April 8, 1991), most consecutive
30-goal seasons (6 from 1988-89 through 1993-94), most games played in one
season (84 in 1992-93, shares record)Dallas Points
Leader: 1995 (42)Minn./Dallas Goals
Leader: 1988-89 (35), 1990-91 (40), 1995 (14)Minn./Dallas Assists
Leader: 1988-89 (43), 1995 (28)Minnesota Playoffs Goals
Leader: 1991 (12)1993-94: Played on first Dallas Stars team.
Miscellaneous: Signed first contract with N.Y. Rangers organization on
March 5, 1984, after competing in 1984 Winter Olympics. ... Played left wing
and right wing, in addition to natural position of center, for N.Y.
Rangers in 1985-86. ... Missed part of 1985-86 season with hairline fracture
of right ankle, an injury suffered blocking a shot in first period of N.Y.
Rangers' Feb. 5, 1986, game at St. Louis. The injury ended his NHL season
for 1985-86, but he did return to join New Haven (AHL) on March
28, 1986. ... Missed the final game of 1988-89 regular season and entire
1989 playoffs with broken kneecap, suffered when he was hit by a Steve
Chiasson slap shot during Minnesota's March 31, 1989, game at Detroit. The
injury required season-ending surgery on April 4, 1989. ... Played left wing
and right wing, in addition to natural position of center, for Minnesota in
1989-90. ... Missed part of
1990-91 season with damaged cartilage in left knee, an injury originally
suffered during Minnesota's preseason tour of the Soviet Union. The injury
required arthroscopic surgery on Nov. 11, 1990, and he did not return until Minnesota's Nov. 21, 1990, game at Detroit. ... Played on line
with Mike Modano and Brian Propp for Minnesota in 1990-91. ... Was
Minnesota's nominee for 1990-91 NHL Bud Man of Year Award. ... Missed parts
of 1991-92 season with knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery on
Dec. 18, 1991, and with hyper-extended knee, suffered during
Minnesota's Feb. 24, 1992, game at New Jersey. ... Was Minnesota's nominee
for 1992-93 King Clancy Trophy. ... Was on Minnesota team that relocated to Dallas on June 9,
1993. ... Missed part of 1993-94 season with separated shoulder, suffered
during Dallas' Nov. 1, 1993, game vs. Toronto. He did not return to
action until Dallas' Nov. 17, 1993, game vs. Tampa Bay. ... Named Dallas
Player of Month for December 1993. ... Named Dallas Player of Month for
March 1995. ... Missed parts of 1995-96 season with sprained shoulder, suffered during Toronto's Feb. 28, 1996, game at Winnipeg, and with
concussion, suffered during Toronto's March 30, 1996, game at
Edmonton. ... Signed with Florida as a Group III unrestricted free agent on July
12, 1997. ... Scored his 300th career NHL goal for Florida on Nov. 14, 1997,
vs. Philadelphia. ... Missed part of 1997-98 season with strained abdomen,
suffered during Florida's Jan. 7, 1998, game at Edmonton. He did
not return to action until Florida's Jan. 21, 1998, game at Anaheim. ...
Missed part of 1998-99 season with concussion, suffered in
Vancouver's March 3, 1999, game vs. San Jose. He did not return until Vancouver's March 19, 1999, game vs. N.Y. Islanders.

NON-NHL CAREER

Post-Draft Teams:
Team Canada; Brantford (OHL); New Haven (AHL); Kalamazoo (IHL); Courmaosta
(Italy)Olympics: 1984
(fourth place)World Championships: 1993 (fourth place)World Junior Championships: 1984
(fourth place)NON-NHL
AWARDS AND HONORSEducation: Attended University of
Western Ontario Business School in off-seasons of playing days, earning a
degree in finance/economics.Miscellaneous: Attended N.Y.
Rangers' 1983 training camp before spending 1983-84 season
with Team Canada for pre-Olympic tour and 1984 Sarajevo Olympics. He
finished third on Team Canada with 37 points during the pre-Olympic tour. ...
Played on line with Kirk Muller for Team Canada in 1983-84. ... Played
for Canada's 1984 Olympic team after having also played in 1984
World Junior Championships. Gagner, Kirk Muller, Russ Courtnall and J.J.
Daigneault became the first Canadian players to compete in the World Junior
Championships and Olympics in the same year. ... Led Canada with seven
points and five goals at 1984 Winter Olympics. Scored hat trick in Canada's
8-1 win over Norway on Feb. 13, 1984. ... Rejoined Brantford (OHL)
on Feb. 25, 1984, for balance of 1983-84 season after competing in 1984 Olympics
and a post-Olympic tournament in Paris. ... Missed part of 1986-87 AHL
season after his appendix burst and he needed an emergency appendectomy in
December 1986. ... Considered quitting hockey after failing to make
Minnesota roster out of training camp in 1988. His wife convinced him to
continue playing. ... Was on
Minnesota team that joined Montreal to compete in the 1990 NHL Friendship
Tour in Soviet Union. There he suffered damaged cartilage in
his left knee. The injury lingered during the early part of the 1990-91
season and ultimately required surgery in November 1990. ... Played in Italy during 1994-95 NHL lockout.
... Ran Dave Gagner Hockey School in Chatham, Ontario, in off-seasons of
playing days. ... Moved to Toronto area after retirement and co-founded
Custom Ice, Inc.
in March 2000. The company,
based in Burlington, Ontario, builds floors for customized rinks. ... Also coached minor
hockey after retirement. ... Became active in Oldtimers'
charity hockey after his retirement.Personal: Full name is David R. Gagner.
... Father of major junior player and top NHL draft prospect Sam Gagner. ... Cousin of former major-junior player Ken Gagner. ... Youngest of seven
children.

HOW HE GOT AWAY

TRADE:
N.Y. Rangers traded Gagner and Jay Caufield to Minnesota in exchange for
Jari Gronstrand and Paul Boutilier on October 8, 1987.

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